Corbitt Chandler Inducted Into The 73rd Edition of Marquis Who's Who in America Out in 2020

Let’s get the obvious out of the way, it’s super awkward to write a blog post about any type of honor or recognition I’ve received. More so than anything because, contrary to what might be popular belief, I don’t take myself very seriously. I’m pretty self-deprecating by default which is a strategy that’s proved highly valuable as I’m pretty sure it’s what landed my amazing wife, Michelle.

Add to this notion that in this world of our individual social media lives which seem to very much contrast (or even contradict) all of our actual real everyday lives (your’s truly included). It can be challenging to separate the hype from the everything else (the 99% of our days not on social, give or take). You’ll have to forgive me for this completely random thought, but it brings to mind professional wrestling as an analogy… Not because I’m a fan (I was - a long, long time ago), but because I was reading an article about the rabid fan base that exists today and what seems to be their inability to separate the character a wrestler is playing from the real person.

If a wrestler is considered a ‘Heel’ (e.g. “bad guy”) inside the ring many fans treat them the same way if they happen to catch them out in public walking their dog. The reality is who they’re playing in the ring is very much a persona that is not by and large who they are in their everyday lives. The lines of reality have become blurred for these fans and the same idea rings true with our social media lives as they are contrasted with our daily lives of picking up poop out of the backyard, getting in arguments with spouses, our individual insecurities, etc.

Back to my point “celebrating one’s self” is a good recipe for disdain and dislike, much akin to the type of actions a pro wrestler would take to turn into a Heel in the ring (there’s that analogy coming full circle). Needless to write, here we are and as with anything in life - be it an award, honor, achievement or just taking a load off on the coach - none of it really means all that much in actuality... Unless you have people in your life to share it with and to show gratitude for their ability to stick around even when your feet are so stinky they need to be pressure washed to get the smell off.

So, ultimately, the point isn’t about me, but thanking those who have been there and supported me through thick and thin. None of it would mean that much without you. I also think it’s fun to be just as self deprecating as I would to myself, to any award or honor that would be given to me.

What The Heck Is The Marquis Who’s Who in America Anyways?

If you’re like me, when I got the letter from them, that was the first thought that popped into my head. As I’d soon find out upon researching, there are a great deal of “Who’s Who” scams out there - past and present. Believe it or not, I’ve unknowingly partaken in one of these scams before which I didn’t find out until my recent research began on Marquis Who’s Who.

Back in 2000, when I was still in high school, we got a call about me being added to the “Who’s Who in High School Sports” Almanac. My dad was pretty excited about it as well as myself, so he paid $300 plus dollars and I got my name and athletic stats in this really thick book with super fine print that we received months later. I never really thought twice about it after the fact, but in this most recent nomination I actually saw that was one of the “Who’s Who” scams that had taken place.

They’d call parents of high school athletes, build up their child’s achievements as well as their credibility to helping athletes get noticed for scholarships, etc. and then sell them a placement in their annual Almanac. They’d take advantage of willing parents who were proud of their kiddos (like my dad and I) and it was a racket, plain and simple. Unfortunately, we had fallen for it. I think I read they did a few annual editions before being shut down.

To my surprise, the Marquis brand and their “Who’s Who” editions at minimum aren’t a racket or are legit and credible (still might be a racket of sorts depending on your viewpoint). The Marquis brand has actually been around since 1899 and up until 2013 was even used by Forbes as part of their sourcing criteria for their people of the year. The reason it’s hard to completely celebrate their legitimacy is that in the 2000’s they went from being an independent company to being acquired by